Two-legged garment and method



June 5, 1962 P. s. ISENHOUR TWO-LEGGED GARMENT AND METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 15, 1957 INVENTOR! DAUL. S. ISENdouR- BYQWW M W ATTORNEYS June 5, 1962 s. ISENHOUR TWO-LEGGED GARMENT AND METHOD 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1957 INVENTORI DAUL S. \SENAOU BY I ATTORNEYS June 5, 1962 P. s. ISENHOUR 3,037,368

TWO-LEGGED GARMENT AND METHOD Filed March 15, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 v INVENTORZ pAUL S- ISENHOUR- ATTORNEY S P. s. ISENHOUR June 5, 1962 TWO-LEGGED GARMENT AND METHOD Filed March 15, 1-957 4 sheets-sheet 4 INVENTOR PAUL S. lsfimlouwa QAA ATTORNEY5 United States Patent 3,037,363 TWO-LEGGED GARMENT AND METHOD Paul S. lsenhour, Rte. 1, Concord, N.C. Filed Mar. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 646,443 19 Claims. c1. 66-177) This invention relates to improvements in knitted twolegged garments and, more especially, theatrical garments commonly known as tights, and a method of making the same.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Serial No. 519,983, filed July 5, 1955, now Patent No. 2,790,315 and entitled Knitted Tights and Method of Manufacture.

In the manufacture of knitted tights of the character disclosed in said copending application, a pair of knitted combination foot, leg, hip and waist units or blanks are interconnected by a seam extending from the waist at the front of the garment down to and around the crotch and up to the waist at the back of the garment. While garments manufactured in this manner are form-fitting, the fullness of the waist and hip portions of the finished garment has been limited to some extent due to limitations in the knitting machines on which they have been knitted and, also, the yieldability of the garment at the waist and hip portions has been limited due to the presence of seams extending from the waist to the crotch of the garment, particularly wherein seams extend from the foot along the back of the leg and along the back of the hip portion of the garment parallel to the central seam which holds the two units or blanks together.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a garment of the character described in which a knitted patch is provided between and sewed to the proximal edges of the knitted blanks at the waist and hip thereof to thereby provide more fullness to the hip of the garment and to eliminate the seam which, heretofore has extended from the central portion of the waist to the crotch, since the seams connecting the patch to the proximal edges of the blanks or units are spaced from the opposite sides of the mean center of the garment.

In one for-m of the invention disclosed herein, the patch extends from the back of the garment to the crotch only and, in another form of the invention, the patch extends from the waist at the back of the garment, through the crotch and then upwardly and terminates at the waist at the front of the garment.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are front and rear views, respectively, of one form of the finished garment as it is worn and wherein the patch extends from the waist at the front of the garment down to and past the crotch of the garment and upwardly, terminating at the waist at the back of the garment;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of the first form of the completed garment shown in FIGURES l and 2, showing the same in a loose state with one of the leg portions turned up and broken away to illustrate the patch at the crotch of the garment;

FIGURES 4 and 5 are views of the left-hand and righthand body units or blanks, respectively, as they may be knit on a full-fashioned knitting machine and showing, in particular, how the upper portions of the blanks are recessed so opposite side edges of the patch may be alined with the seams which extend through the leg portions of the finished garment when the patch is attached to corresponding edge portions of the blanks in the manufacture of the first form of the invention;

FIGURE 6 is a view of the first form of the patch;

3,037,368 Patented June 5, 1962 "ice FIGURE 7 is an enlarged sectional plan View through the hip of the first form of the finished garment taken substantially along line 77 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through the waist band taken substantially along line 88 in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURES 9 and 10 are front and rear views, respectively, showing a second form of the finished garment as it is worn, wherein the patch extends from the rear portion of the waist and terminates at the crotch of the garment;

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FlGURE 3 showing the second form of the finished garment; V

FIGURES 12 and 13 are views similar to the respective FIGURES 4 and 5 showing the blanks arranged to accommodate the form of patch shown in FIGURE 14;

FIGURE 14 is a second form of patch which appears at the rear of the garment only;

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged sectional plan view through the hip of the second form of the garment taken substantially along line 15-15 in FIGURE 10;

FIGURE 16 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through the waist band taken substantially along 16-16 in FIGURE 9.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, two forms of the present invention ars illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 8 and 9 through 16, respectively, the nucleus of the invention residing in the provision of 'a patch extending from the waist to the crotch of the garment to provide fullness and greater yieldability in the hip of the garment than has heretofore been obtainable in similar garments. Each form of the invention is shown as being made from two flat full-fashioned knit blanks whose leg and foot portions are seamed so the leg and foot portions are tubular. However, it is contemplated that the blanks or body units may be circularly knit and cut-away, or especially reciprocatorily knit in the upper portions thereof, to facilitate securing the two blanks of each pair together and to accommodate the patch there-between, and so that the leg and foot portions of the garment are seamless. The first form of the invention will now be described.

Referring to FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, the pair of tights shown is formed from a pair of blanks or body units broadly designated at 20 and 20, which blanks are shown in FIGURES 4 and 5 as originally being formed on a full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine and both of which may be knitted in the identical manner. The blanks 20, 20 are preferably, but not necessarily, knit from a socalled synthetic stretc or lively yarn.

For example, alternate pairs of courses in the body of each blank may be knit from a body yarn composed of two strands of fifteen denier nylon, each twisted thirty turns to the left and set at a temperature of approximately three hundred seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Intervening courses may be knit from a similar body yarn in which the strands are twisted thirty turns per inch to the right and set at approximately three hundred seventy degrees Fahrenheit. The oppositely twisted yarns may recur at varying intervals. 1

Since the knit blanks 20, 20 are similar in all respects, the formation of blank 20 will be described in detail and like portions of the blank 20 will bear the same reference characters with the prime notation added. The number of wales, courses, Widenings and narrowings described hereinafter are exemplary and define preferred proportions, but it is to be distinctly understood that these proportions may be varied somewhat without departing from the spirit of the invention, The upper end of the blank 20 in FIGURE 4 may be in the form of a turned welt but, in this instance, the upper end of the blank 20 is merely provided with a selvage end or make-up preferably formed with lock stitches and wherein a plurality of courses, say, eight courses, are knit to form a narrow single-thickness welt 21. The blank 20, at its widest portion, may be four hundred forty needle-wales wide, however, the single welt 21 is proportionately approximately two hundred needle-wales wide and is off-set with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blank.

After the Welt 21 is formed, a hip portion 22 is knit to form a straight recessed selvage 23 at one side thereof and a projecting selvage 24 at the other side thereof. The straight selvage 23 may include approximately two hundred ninety seven courses. In forming the hip area 22, the upper portion thereof is widened relatively steeply, as at 25, while knitting approximately one hundred four courses so the predominate area of the hip portion 22 includes approximately two hundred eighty needle-wales extending through approximately two hundred forty one courses. Thereafter, the left-hand selvage of the blank in FIGURE 4 is progressively narrowed while the right-hand edge thereof is progressively widened to form opposed inclined selvages 26, 27.

It will be noted that the selvage 26 is inclined at a substantially greater angle than the opposed selvage 27 and these selvages define thereoetween an upper thigh portion. The inclined selvage 26 may embrace eighty needle-wales and eighty courses, while the opposite selvage portion 27 may embrace fourteen needle-wales and fifty courses and may commence at the fifty-sixth course following the first course in the selvage 26. At the bottom of the inclined crotch selvage 26, the fabric is knit symmetrically from then on to form a shoulder 28 which may also be termed as a single crotch-welt 28 extending outwardly from the inclined selvage 26. The shoulder 28 is preferably formed with lock stitches in the manner of the upper end edge 21 so as to prevent unraveling of the material. The crotch-welt 23 may embrace approximately eighty needlewales.

The remaining portions of the blank or body unit 20 may then be knit in the manner of any conventional fullfashioned hose insofar as the fashioning is concerned and the reinforcing of the blank may be arranged in any desired or conventional manner. In this instance, following the formin of the upper thi h portion 30, the limb is knit to successively form a lower thigh portion 31, a knee-pocket 32, a lower leg portion 33, an upper heel or ankle portion 34, a heel-pocket portion 35, a foot 36 and a toe 37.

At the plane of the shoulder 28, the fabric is narrowed at opposite selvages thereof for a relatively short distance; that is, approximately twenty courses, to reduce the width of the fabric from approximately four hundred forty needle-wales to four hundred twenty needle-wales. The lower thigh portion 31 is then formed by gradually decreasing the number of needle-wales for approximately five hundred forty eight courses while narrowing at desired intervals so the last few courses, say one hundred eighty two courses in the lower thigh portion 31, each embraces approximately three hundred sixty eight needlewales which terminate at the knee portion 32. Actually, the lower portion of the lower thigh portion 31 also forms the upper part of the knee-pocket 32.

The fabric is narrowed at 41 to form the lower half of the knee-pocket 32. It will be noted that the lower narrowed portion 41 of the knee-pocket 32 also forms the upper portion or calf of the limb of the blank, the number of needle-wales preferably decreasing by two at each side edge of the blank at thirty six intervals of six courses each for a total of approximately two hundred sixteen courses so the final course, at the narrowing points 41 in the knee-pocket 32 and the calf, embraces approximately two hundred thirty two needle-wales.

The lower leg portion 33 is then knit to include approximately one hundred thirty courses embracing approximately two hundred thirty two needle-wales. The blank is then widened, as at 43, to form the ankle or Cit upper heel portion 44, and then a few courses of uniform length are knit. The selvages are then narrowed, as at 4-4, thus forming the heel-pocket 35. The extent to which the fabric is widened and narrowed at 43 and 44, respectively, depends upon the desired size of the foot and since the manner of knitting the foot of a full-fashioned stocking is well known, a detailed explanation thereof will not be given It is preferable that reinforcing areas are knit adjacent opposite free side selvages of the heel-pocket 35, the foot 36 and the toe 37 during the knitting of these portions from the body yarn or backing. Since the reinforced areas at the heelpocket 35, the foot 36, and the toe 37 may be of any desired shape, a detailed description of the manner in which these portions are formed will not be given. After the toe 37 is knit a small tab 47 is preferably formed for closing the toe 37 during the seaming of the blank 20.

From the above it is apparent that the knitting operation on a full-fashioned hosiery knitting machine will form, in addition to the free selvages 23, 2-4, 25, 26 and 27, free selvages 5t) and 51 which define the side edges of the lower thigh portion 31, the knee-pocket 32, the lower leg portion 33, the upper and lower heel portions 34, 35, the foot portion 36 and the toe 37. For pur poses of clarity, the selvages at the left-hand side of the blank 20 in FIGURE 4 may be termed rear selvages and the selvages at the right-hand side of blank 20 may be termed front selvages, although the limb selvages 50, 51 both appear at the rear of the garment when it is completed.

After the body units or blanks 26, 29' are knit in substantially the manner described, the free outer selvages of the thigh, knee, leg, heel, foot and toe portions of each blank 20, 20 are seamed or stitched together throughout the length thereof in any desired or conventional manner to form respective longitudinally extending leg or stocking seams 52. 52' on the respective blanks 20, 2ft (FIGURE 2) and so the lower thigh, knee, leg, heel, foot and toe portions of each blank 20, 20' will collectively be of tubular configuration.

After the selvages 5t 51 and 5t), 51 of the respective blanks 26, 26 have been seamed together, the upper thigh portions 30, 3t) and the hip and waist portions 22, 22 are joined to opposite sides of a patch broadly designated at 54. The patch 54 is also preferably made from a synthetic stretch yarn and may be knit in the form shown in FIGURE 6 or it may be cut from a larger piece of knit fabric. Generally, the patch 54 is substantially rectangular in shape and comprises a rear or back panel 55 joined to a front panel 56 by a relatively narrow crotch portion 57 so that patch 54 is substantially hour-glass shaped at the crotch portion 57. In order that the manner in which the patch 54 is attached to the blanks 20, 20 may be clearly understood, the configuration of the side edges of the patch will be described in detail.

The front panel 5-5 is preferably somewhat shorter than the rear panel 55. By way of example, the major portions of the back and front panels may be threeand-one-half inches wide while the length of the back patch from its outer edge 60 to the center of the crotch portion 57 may be approximately ten-and-one-half inches, and the length of the front patch from its free end edge 61 to the center of the crotch portion 57 may be nineand-one-half inches. The back panel 55 is provided with substantially straight opposed side edges 62, 62' and the front panel 56 is provided with substantially straight opposed side edges 63, 63. The side edges 62, 62 and 63, 63 converge inwardly at the crotch portion 57 forming respective pairs of inclined or inwardly converging side edges 64, 64' and 65, 65' which form opposite side edges of the crotch portion 57.

Now, keeping in wind that the stocking selvages 5G, 51 are fixed together (see seam 52 in FIGURE 2) while at least the upper half of the selvage 27 and the selvages 23, 24, 25 and 26, as well as the crotch shoulder 28 are free or unsewn at this time, the edge 62 of the back panel is sewed to the left-hand selvage of the singlewelt 21 and to the selvages 25, 24 and 27 of the blank 20. Also, since seam 52' has been formed on blank the straight side edge is sewed to the corresponding selvages or selvage portions 24', 27 of the blank 20. The juncture of the side edge 62 with the converging side edge 64 is then substantially at the juncture of the portion of the selvage 50 terminating at the crotch-welt 28 and the opposite selvage portion 27 (FIGURE 3).

The juncture of the edges 62, 64' of the back panel 55 is then substantially at the point at which the upper terminus of the selvage 51' connects to the selvage 27. Thereafter, the edges 64, 64' are sewed to the respective crotch-welts 28, 28; the converging edges 65, 65 of the crotch portion 57 of the patch 54 are sewed to the respective inclined selvages 26, 26 of the respective blanks 20, 20; and the side edges 63, 63 of the front panel 56 of patch 54 are sewed to the respective straight, recessed selvages 23, 23' so that opposite ends 60, 61 of the patch 54 are substantially even with the upper ends or single welts 21, 21 of the respective blanks 20, 20'.

Joining the side edges of the back panel 55, front panel 56 and crotch portion 57 of the patch 54 to the corresponding selvage portions of the two blanks 20, 20 in the manner heretofore described forms a patch seam 70 between the blank 2t) and the patch 54 and a patch seam 70 between the blank 20 and patch 54, each of which extends about midway of the cheek of the hip, to one side of the mean center of the garment; from the waist at the front of the garment downwardly through the crotch and then upwardly along the front of the garment and terminates at the waist at the front of the garment. It will be noted that, by forming the front hip selvages 23, 23 so they are recessed relative to the stocking portions of the respective blanks or body units, the stocking seams 52, 52 terminate at points intermediate the portions of the respective insert or patch seams 70, 70' extending from the waist to the crotch of the garment at the rear of the garment as shown in FIGURE 2. Also, the predominate lengths of the seams 70, 70' are substantially alined with the stocking seams 52, 52'. Thus, by providing the seams 70, 79' so they are spaced from opposite sides of the mean center of the garment and extend along the cheeks of the hip thereof, as shown in FIGURE 2, this permits distortion of the fabric at the hip of the wearer as well as permitting substantial yieldability of the hip of the garment without distorting the stocking seams 52, 52. to where they will be improperly alined with the rear portions of the thighs and legs of the wearer.

As heretofore stated, a double-welt may be substituted for the single-welt 21 and 21' of the blanks 20, 20 and an elastic band may be provided in the double- Welt in substantially the manner disclosed in said copending application Serial No. 519,983. However, in this instance, it Will be noted in FIGURES l, 2, 3 and 8 that an elastic band 75, preferably made from woven or knit elastic and inelastic yarns, is stitched to the upper endges 21, 21 of the blanks and opposite end edges 60, 61 of the patch 54, this stitching being indicated at 76 in FIGURE 8. The elastic band 75 is generally made in the form of a tape from which the desired length is cut and, thus, opposite ends of the waist band 75 may be suitably attached together as by a row of stitching indicated at 77 in FIGURES 1 and 2.

It is thus seen that I have provided one form of the invention wherein the body units 21 20 are attached or sewed to opposite sides of a patch 54 which extends from the waist at the front of the garment down to and past the crotch of the garment and terminates at the back of the garment.

Second Form of the Invention The second form of the invention is shown in FIG- URES 9 through 16 and differs from the first form of the garment in that the patch extends from the waist at the back of the garment to the crotch of the garment only so a seam interconnects the two blanks or body units at the front of the garment only; from the waist to the crotch.

Referring to FIGURES 9, l0 and 11, the second form of garment is also formed from a pair of blanks or body units broadly designated at Ztla and 2tia. As shown in FIGURES l2 and 13, these blanks are shown as originally bcing formed of a full-fashioned knitting machine and both of them may be knit in the identical manner, preferably, but not necessarily, from a so-called synthetic stretch yarn. Since the blanks 20a and 20a are similar in all respects, the formation of blank 20a will be described and like portions of the blank 20a will bear the same reference characters with the prime notation added. Also, those parts of the blank 20a which are similar to, or identically the same as, parts of the blank 2% will bear the same reference characters with the small letter a" aflixed thereto, to avoid repetitive description.

The upper portion 21a in FIGURE 12 is shown as being a turned 0r double-welt whose courses are of substantially greater length than the courses in the singlewelt 21 of the blank 20 (FIGURE 4). By way of example, the welt 21a may include three hundred thirty eight needle-wales and approximately eighty six courses. After the welt 21a of the blank 20a is knit, the welt is turned or doubled in the usual manner and interknit with the body at a course The blank 20a is knit throughout its width with one or more backing or body yarns and, in forming the hip portion 22a, two yarn carriers may be used so as to knit the full width of the fabric with one of the yarn carriers and to knit the backing yarn with a reinforcing yarn to form a reinforced front area 31 so as to concurrently form a straight front selvage 23a from both the reinforcing and the body yarns. The reinforcing yarn is also preferably a synthetic stretch yarn.

After the welt is turned and interknit with the body of the fabric, eight additional courses are preferably knit of the same length as the length of the courses in the welt and then the selvage 25a is formed by widening, preferably to a lesser extent than that in which the selvage 25 is formed in FIGURE 4. The selvage portion 25a may be formed by gradually widening to embrace an additional twenty-two needle-wales while knitting approximately sixty-three courses so the main portion of the hip portion 22a and the complementary portion of the reinforced front area 81 embrace approximately three hundred sixty needle wales, The latter main portion may include approximately two hundred eighty-one courses in forming the straight rear selvage 24a.

It will be noted that, while the selvage 24a is being formed, the lower left-hand portion of the reinforced area 81 is narrowed from a width of approximately eighty needle-wales to approximately twelve needle-wales and terminates in alinement with the shoulder 28a, the narrowing in the lower portion of the reinforced area 81 preferably embracing approximately eighty courses. Of course, in forming the latter few courses in the lower end of the reinforced area 81, the left-hand edge of the fabric is narrowed to form the inclined rear selvage portion 27a. The remaining portions of the stocking of the blank may be formed in identically the manner described with respect to the blank 20 of the first form of the invention and, accordingly, a further description of the blank 20a is deemed unnecessary.

After the body units or blanks 20a, 20a are knit in substantially the manner described, the front selvage 50a is sewed to the'selvage 51a and the selvage 50a is sewed to the selvage 51a in substantially the manner described with respect to the first form of the invention to form respective longitudinally extending leg or stock ing seams 52a, 52a on the respective blanks 20a, 20a

(FIGURE 11) and so the lower thigh, knee, leg, heel, foot and toe portions of each blank Zita, 26a will collectively be of generally tubular configuration.

After the seams 52a, 52a have been formed, the hip portions 22a, 22a and the upper thigh portions Stm, 30a may be sewed to opposite sides of a patch broadly designated at 54a (FIGURES 9, 10, 11, 14 and 15), or the front recessed selvages 23a, 23a of the respective blanks a, 200' may be first seamed together, this being a matter of choice. By way of example, it Will be assumed that the patch 54a is connected to the blanks Zt'ia, 20a before the selvages 23a, 23a are sewed together.

It will be noted that the patch 54a is of substantially the same configuration as the upper or rear panel 55 of the patch 54 and the lower or front panel 56 is omitted. However, the patch 54a differs from the rear panel 55 of the first form of patch 54 in that a turned welt portion 85 is preferably formed at the unper end of the patch 54a, which turned welt or double welt portion may include the same number of courses as the welt portions 21a, 21a of tle respective blanks 29a, 2%. In all other respects, the patch 54a may be identical to the rear panel 55 of the patch 54 and, therefore, the upper edge of the patch 54a is indicated at 66a, the straight side edges or selvages of the patch 54:: are indicated at 62a, 62a and the lower converging or inclined edges of the patch 54a are indicated at 64a, 64a. The inclined or converging edges 54a, 64a define a crotch portion 57:: therebetween which is substantially pointed or rounded, as at 86, at its lower end. The selvages or side edges 62a, 62a define a back or rear panel 55a therebetween.

Now, keeping in mind that the stocking selvages 50a, 51a, and 53a, 510' are sewed together to form the seams 52a, 52a, the edge 62a of the rear panel 55a of patch 54a is sewed to the left-hand or rear salvage of the welt 21a and selvages 25a, 24a. The inclined edge 64a of the crotch portion 57a of patch 54a is then sewed to a portion of the rear selvage 27a in FIGURE 12 and to the shoulder 28a, thus forming a seam 70a (FIGURES l0 and 11) at the juncture of the patch 54a and the body unit 20a A seam 76a is also formed at the juncture of the patch 54a and the body unit 200 as the edge 62a of the patch 54a (FIGURE 14) is connected or sewed to the rear selvage of the turned welt 21a and the selvage portions 25a, 24a and a portion of the selvage portion 271:. Also, the lower portion of the seam 78a is formed at the crotch 57a as the edge 64a is attached to the crotch welt 28a and a portion of the rear selvage 27a.

As heretofore stated, either before or after the patch 54:: is attached to the corresponding selvages and crotch welts in the manner heretofore described, the front selvages 23a, 23a at the reinforced portions 81, 81 are also seamed together to form a front scam 37 (FIGURES 9, 11 and 15) at the mean center of the garment which extends from the waist or upper end of the welt portions 21a, 21a to the crotch; that is, the lower end of the front seam 87 terminates at the point at which the apex 86 or point 86 of the crotch portion 57a of the patch 54a is attached to the two blanks 20a, 20a.

It is to be understood that the sequence in which the various parts of the patches 54, 540 are described as being connected to corresponding edges of the respective blanks 20, 20' and 29a, 20a may be varied from that described herein according to the desires of the individual seamer operator. It should be pointed out that, when the patch 54a is connected to the body units or blanks 20a, 20a in the manner described, the point 86 of the crotch portion 57a of the patch 54a is attached to the blanks 20a, 20a substantially at the junctures of the front recessed selvages 23a, 23a with the respective crotch welts 28a, 28a, these front selvages 23a, 23a being recessed so patch 550 may be of substantial width and the leg seams 52a, 5211 may still extend from the bottom of the checks of the hips along the rear longitudinal centers of the legs of the wearer and so the patch seams Ma, 76a may extend substantially along the centers of the checks of the hips of the wearer while the fabric is under substantially uniform lateral tension without being unduly distorted. Thus, the seams a, 7%, at their straight portions, are maintained in substantially Wale-Wise alinement with the center of the rear of the respective heels of the wearer. Of course, it is apparent that the crotch portion 57a of the patch 54a may be distorted to some extent while sewing the same to the crotch welt 23a, 28a so that lower portions of the front selvages 23a, 23a may also be attached to the converging or inclined edges 64a, 64a of the crotch portion 5?:1 of the patch Stia. In this instance, the reinforced areas 81, 31 extend beyond the apex or point of the patch 54a as best shown in FIGURE 15, which is desirable.

It is thus seen that providing the patch 54a at the rear of the garment as shown in FIGURES 10 and 11 causes the upper ends of the stocking or leg seams 52a, 52a to terminate at a point near the lower end of, but spaced intermediate the ends of the respective patch scams or insert seams 70a, 70a, with the latter seams 70a, 79a extending in spaced relation to opposite sides of the mean center of the garment and also extending from the waist to the crotch at the rear of the garment. Like the first form of tights shown in FIGURES l and 2, by providing the seams 70a, 70a so they are spaced from opposite sides of the mean center of the garment as shown in FIGURES 10 and 15, this permits distortion of the garment at the hip of the wearer as well as permitting substantial yieldability of the garment without distorting the stocking seams 52a, 52a to where they may otherwise be improperly alined with the rear portions of the thighs and legs of the wearer.

Now as heretofore stated, the second form of the garment is provided with the double or turned welt formed from the upper welt 21a, 21a on the respective blanks 20a, 263a and the welt 85 on the patch 54a. Although an elastic band may be provided within the turned welt thus formed in substantially the manner disclosed in said copcnding application Serial No. 519,983, it will be observed in FIGURES 9, 10, 11 and 16 that an elastic band a is attached to the upper edges of the double welt 21a, 22a and by stitching indicated at 760 in FIGURE 16. This elastic band 75a may be of the same character as the elastic band 75 of the first form of the invention and is preferably double-ended with its opposite ends stitched together, as at 77a (FIGURES 9, 10 and 11), at the mean center of the rear of the garment. The double-welt may be omitted from the body units 20a, 20a and the patch 54a and single thickness portions may be substituted therefor, as in the first form of garment as desired.

Although both forms of the two-legged garment are shown provided with closed foot portions thereon, it is apparent that these foot portions may be omitted or a knit cufi may be formed on the lower end of each tubular In the drawings and specification there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms .are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A knit garment comprising a pair of similar knit blanks formed from body yarn and each having a leg and foot portion, opposite side edges of said leg and foot portions of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said blanks each including waist and hip portions knit integral with said leg portion and being formed with a longitudinally extending rear projecting selvage on one side thereof and a longitudinally extending recessed front selvage on the side thereof opposite from the rear selvage with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg portion, and a knitted patch having opposite side edges secured in part to said front selvages, having other parts of its opposite side edges secured to said shoulders and having still other parts of its opposite side edges secured to said rear selvages of the corresponding blanks to form a garment having closed waist and hip portions with a depending pair of closed tubular leg and foot portions and with a patch extending from substantially the upper edge of the waist at the front of the garment around the crotch and substantially to the upper edge of the waist at the back of the garment.

2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein each blank is provided with a reinforced area knit integral therewith, extending inwardly from the corresponding front selvage and extending substantially throughout the length of the front selvage.

3. A knit garment comprising a pair of similar knit blanks formed from body yarn and each having a leg portion, opposite side edges of said leg portion of each blank being secured together to from seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said blanks each including waist and hip portions knit integral with said leg portion and being formed with a longitudinally extending rear projecting selvage on one side thereof and a longitudinally extending recessed front selvage on the side thereof opposite from the rear selvage with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg portion, and a knitted patch having portions of its opposite side edges secured to said front selvages, having other portions of its opposite side edges secured to said shoulders and having still other portions of its opposite side edges secured to said rear selvages of the corresponding blanks to form a garment having closed waist and hip portions with a depending pair of closed tubular leg portions and with a patch extending from substantially the upper edge of the waist at the front of the garment around the crotch and substantially to the upper edge of the waist at the back of the garment.

4. A structure according to claim 3 wherein each blank is provided with a reinforced area knit integral therewith, extending inwardly from the corresponding front selvages and extending substantially throughout the length of the front selvage.

5. A knit garment comprising a pair of similar knit blanks formed from body yarn and each having a leg portion, opposite side edges of said leg portion of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said blanks each including waist and hip portions knit integral with said leg portion and being formed with a rear projecting selvage and a front recessed selvage, said recessed selvage being spaced inwardly from the seam of the corresponding blank to form a shoulder at the juncture of the front selvage and the seam, said recessed selvages being secured together for at least a substantial portion of the length thereof and from the waist thereof, a substantially rectangular patch having opposite side edges secured to the respective rear selvages of said waist and hip portions and said patch having converging lower edges thereon secured to, at least, the respective shoulders of the two blanks.

6. A structure according to claim 5 wherein each blank is provided with a reinforced area knit integral therewith, extending inwardly from the corresponding front selvage and extending substantially throughout the length of the front selvage.

7. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the step of knitting a pair of flat blanks with each of said blanks having integral waist, hip, leg and foot portions and with each of said knit blanks having a longitudin'ally extending recessed front selvage on one side edge of said waist and hip portions and a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg and having a free rear edge at the opposite side edge thereof, forming a knitted substantially rectangular patch with a pair of converging edges at one end thereof, securing together opposite side edges of the leg portion of each blank to form a pair of tubular blanks having closed tubular leg portions with longitudinally extending seams positioned at the back thereof, securing together the front recessed selvages of the two blanks, securing opposite side edges of the patch to corresponding rear edges of said waist and hip portions, and securing said converging edges of the patch, at least in part, to the crotch shoulders of the corresponding blanks to form a knit garment having a closed tubular waist and hip portion with a patch at the rear thereof with longitudinally extending patch seams spaced from opposed sides of the mean center of the garment at the rear thereof.

8. A two-legged knit garment comprising a pair of knit blanks each having integral waist and hip, leg and foot portions, opposite side edges of the leg portion of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said waist and hip portion of each blank being formed with a longitudinally extending recessed front selvage on one side edge thereof with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg, the waist and hip portion of each blank also having a rear edge at the side thereof opposite from the recessed front selvage, the recessed front selvages of the two blanks being secured together, a knitted substantially rec tangular patch having a pair of converging edges at one end thereof, opposite side edges of said patch being secured to corresponding rear edges of said Waist and hip portions, and the converging edges of said patch, at least in part, being secured to the crotch shoulders of the corresponding blanks whereby the patch and the waist and hip portions are collectively of closed tubular form with opposite edges of the patch defining longitudinally extending seams spaced from opposed sides of the mean center of the garment at the rear thereof.

9. A two-legged knit garment comprising a pair of knit blanks each having integral waist and hip, leg and foot portions, opposite side edges of said leg and foot portion of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said waist and hip portion of each blank being formed with a longitudinally extending recessed front edge on one side thereof with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed front edge adjacent the leg portion, the Waist and hip portion of each blank also having a rear edge at the side thereof opposite V from the recessed front edge, said blanks when placed in side by side relationship forming a pair of adjacent front edges and a pair of adjacent rear edges, a knitted substantially rectangular patch having a tapered portion, the ttpered portion of said patch, at least in part, being secured to the crotch shoulders of the corresponding blanks, opposite side edges of said patch being secured to at least one of said pairs of adjacent edges and the other of said pairs of adjacent edges being connected whereby the patch and the waist and hip portions are collectively of closed tubular form.

10. A two-legged knit garment comprising a pair of knit blanks each having integral waist and hip, and leg portions, opposite side edges of said leg portion of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said waist and hip portion of each blank being formed with a longitudinally extending recessed front selvage on one side thereof with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg portion, the waist and hip portion of each blank also having a rear edge at the side thereof opposite from the recessed front selvage, a knitted substantially rectangular patch having a tapered portion, the tapered portion of said patch, at least in part, being secured to the crotch shoulders of the corresponding blanks, opposite side edges of said patch, at least in part, being secured to corresponding rear edges of said waist and hip portions, and the recessed front selvages of the two blanks being connected whereby the patch and the waist and hip portions are collectively of closed tubular form with opposite edges of the patch defining longitudinally extending seams spaced from opposed sides of the mean center of the garment on at least one side thereof.

11. A two-legged knit garment comprising a pair of knit blanks each having integral waist and hip, leg and foot portions, opposite side edges of the leg and foot portion of each blank being secured together to form seams extending longitudinally of the garment at the back thereof, said waist and hip portion of each blank being knitted with a longitudinally extending recessed front selvage on one side thereof with a crotch shoulder extending outwardly from that end of each recessed selvage adjacent the leg, the waist and hip portion of each blank also having a rear edge at the side thereof opposite from the recessed front selvage, the recessed front selvages of the two blanks being connected, a knitted substantially rectangular patch having a pair of converging edges at one end thereof, the converging edges of said patch, at least in part, being secured to the crotch shoulder of the corresponding blanks, opposite side edges of said patch being secured to corresponding rear edges of said waist and hip portions whereby the patch and the waist and hip portions are collectively of closed tubular form with opposite edges of the patch defining longitudinally extending seams spaced from opposed sides of the mean center of the garment at the rear thereof.

12. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, Waist and hip portions each having opposite side edges, while knitting one of the side edges of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side edge of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side edges of the leg portion of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantially rectangular patch to the corresponding side edges of the waist and hip portions of the blanks, and securing the remaining portions of the side edges of the patch to the crotch shoulders to form a knitted garment having closed tubular Waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg portions.

13. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, foot, waist and hip portions each having opposite sides edges, while knitting one of the side edges of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side edge of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side edges of the leg and foot portions of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantially rectangular patch to the corresponding side edges of the waist and hip portions of the blanks, and securing the remaining portions of the side edges of the patch to the crotch shoulders to form a knitted garment having closed tubular waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg and foot portions.

14. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, hip and waist portions each having opposite side selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg portion of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantially rectangular patch to the side selvages the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing other opposite side edge portions of the patch to the crotch shoulders, and securing the remaining opposite side edge portions of the patch to the recessed selvages to form a knitted garment having closed Waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg portions.

15. A method of making a two-legged garment com prising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, foot, hip and waist portions each having opposite side selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg and foot portions of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantially rectangular patch to the side selvages opposite the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing other opposite side edge portions of the patch to the crotch shoulders, and securing the remaining opposite side edge portions of the patch to the recessed selvages to form a knitted garment having closed waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg and foot portions.

16. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, hip and waist portions each having opposite selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the Waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg portion of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantiall rectangular patch to the side selvages opposite the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing the remaining opposite side edge portions of the patch to the crotch shoulder, and securing the recessed selvages together to form a knitted garment having closed tubular waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg portions.

17. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, foot, hip and waist portions each having opposite side selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg and foot portions of each blank together into tubular form, securing portions of opposite side edges of a substantially rectangular patch to the side selvages opposite the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing the remaining opposite side edge portions of the patch to the crotch shoulders, and securing the recessed selvages together to form a knitted garment having closed tubular waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg and foot portions.

18. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, foot, hip and waist portions each having opposite side selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg and foot portions of each blank together into tubular form, forming a substantially rectangular knitted patch with converging side edges at one end thereof, securing portions of the opposite side edges of the patch to the side selvages opposite the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing the remaining opposite side edge portions including, at least in part, the converging side edges of the patch to the crotch shoulders, and securing the recessed selvages together to form a knitted garment having closed tubular waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg and foot portions.

19. A method of making a two-legged garment comprising the steps of knitting a pair of blanks with leg, foot, hip and waist portions each having opposite side selvages, while knitting one of the side selvages of the Waist and hip portions recessed from the proximal portion of the corresponding side selvage of the leg portion to form a crotch shoulder, securing the opposite side selvages of the leg and foot portions of each blank together into tubular form, forming a knitted substantially rectangular patch with a reduced portion intermediate its end, securing portions of the opposite side edges of the patch to the side selvages opposite the recessed selvages of the waist and hip portions, securing the side edges, at least in part, of the reduced portion of the patch to the crotch shoulders, and securing the remaining opposite side edge portions of the patch to the recessed selvages to form a knitted garment having closed tubular waist and hip portions with depending tubular leg and foot portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,767 Clauss May 7, 1895 14 Osborne June 26, 1927 Kramer Mar. 15, 1932 Barnes Aug. 2, 1938 Burkey June 2, 1942 Seiler May 3, 1949 Lacks June 13, 1950 Kessler July 6, 1954 Goodman Dec. 28, 1954 Isenhour Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Jan. 12, 1895 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. $037,368 June 5 1962 Paul S. Isenhour It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

" read steps column 11 Column 9, line 73, for step site -1; column 12,,

line I5, after "selvages" insert oppo line 25, after "opposite" insert side Signed and sealed this 9th day of October 1962 (SEAL) Attest:

DAVID L. LADD ERNEST W. SWIDEH Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

